Handball EP - Norway 2008

Anthony Wilson4 said:So we’re basically flying without Zrnic... man, our right wing is gonna be a total disaster zone. The other spots actually look solid with some decent depth—that might be our secret weapon if we play it right...

Balic - Vukovic
Metlicic - Skopljar
Lackovic - Valcic
Vori - Sulic and don't even get me started... honestly, if Balic isn't in the lineup, I think we gotta give Sulic a shot... because let's be real, Vori and Balic are a dream duo... whereas Sulic and Balic? Not so much...

I actually think this weird mix of players could pull off a championship... strictly on paper, it's totally doable...

But what's the deal with Balic? Is he even playing or what??? I heard some crazy rumor about him having an injury... absolute nightmare.
And nobody even mentioned A Bunitca... which is weird to me. He's a great guy, but I guess it doesn't matter. One more thing—is Sprem even on the roster? And who's actually guarding the net?

Sulic and Balic work five times better together—you clearly only watched the last season when Sulic was sidelined with an injury...

If Dzomba were actually on the field right now, we could be talking about scoring 7 to 12 goals a game. But since he isn't? Forget about it. It’s a long shot that he’ll even show up, but if he does, that sheer stubbornness of his is going to carry us a long way. Lino is an Istrijan through and through—for those guys, "spite" is basically their middle name.

wearyeagle2 said:If Džomba were actually here, we could be predicting scores like 7-12 per game right now. But instead—forget it. It’s going to be tough, but pure spite might just carry us a long way. That is, if we even have him. Lino is an Istrijan; for those guys, "spite" is basically their middle name.

I guess you'll have to learn the hard way what true Istrijan spite really looks like. 🙂

rapidbison42 said:The wingers don't matter. It’s all about Balić. Without him, pulling off a win against any of the top 10 or 12 teams in the world would be nothing short of a miracle.
If he's out, even grabbing a single point in games against Poland or Canada would be a massive win—and honestly, against the Czechs, we'd just be lucky to break even.

That’s a bit of a heavy statement... though I get where they're coming from regarding Ivan...
If we didn't have him and Metličić, then yeah, we’d actually have something to worry about...

Just two years ago, the global media was basically calling Ivano Metličić... or maybe Petar Balić... the best players on the planet.

But saying the winger doesn't matter? Look, if your winger is mediocre—meaning their shot is garbage—defenders aren't going to waste any energy shadowing them...
Instead, they'll stay glued to the guys closing down the middle... right where Balić and the rest of the perimeter players operate...
So, if you've got a weak winger, it actually makes life harder for everyone else on the court...

When you have a high-caliber winger, you stretch that defense wide. It gives the shooters more breathing room to take a shot or find an opening to feed the line, because the defense can't step out to the 9m mark without leaving a gap. If they do step out, you just swing the ball to the wing, and if that player is actually good, they're going to bury it.

wearyeagle2 said:If Džomba actually showed up, we could be talking about scoring 10 goals a game right now. But this? Forget it. It’s a long shot, sure, but that stubborn American grit might just pull us through—assuming he actually decides to play. Lino is a total Istrijan at heart; for those guys, "spite" is basically a food group.

Hell, maybe even 20 goals a game? Honestly, ever since Džomba put on that Chicago CO jersey, he hasn't shown a single shred of the talent he used to have... he plays like he'd rather be anywhere else.

Honestly, not having Džomba on the court isn't even a setback. Given how he’s playing lately, he’s really just taking a spot away from someone better—someone like Zrnic or the upcoming Cupic.

If you ask me, Cupo actually has more upside than Zrnic. It all comes down to whether he can handle the pressure at the EP and if Lino actually gives him the minutes. I just hope we don't see them overusing Horvat unnecessarily. As for Cupic, every major club in Europe is going to be scouting him. The only one passing is Barsa, but that's purely because they're already stacked at that position with Rocas and Thomas.
Kiel is especially interested, too. Vidu seems a bit fed up with the mid-table grind here and is already eyeing a move to Spain. Noka wants Cupic, and I wouldn't be surprised if he lands in Kiel.

Then there's the Portland option. They desperately need cover on the right wing, but they’re dealing with some serious budget issues right now. The big question is whether they can actually come up with a heavy enough offer to land Cupic.

Mark my words: this kid is going to be the undisputed king of the right wing for the American national team before long.

At this point, our only real headache is Balic. We can fill every other position on the roster with plenty of quality.

They’re going to focus way more on defenses that clog up the middle... right where Petar Balić and the rest of the perimeter players operate...
Which basically means if the wingers aren't pulling their weight, it makes life miserable for everyone else on the court...

Well, that's just one way of looking at it... look, if the wings are having an off night, the opposing defense is naturally going to lean harder on the guards... which actually leaves more room for the wing players to breathe...

Come on, let's be real, they aren't so incompetent that they can't sink a goal from a clean look... especially when they're in their natural positions...

I mean, seriously, people don't make it onto the national team for nothing, right?

And please, saying we have a 50-50 shot against the Czechs... give me a break... did you even watch the game against Spain last year? The second unit played basically the whole first half, and what happened? They were down four goals by halftime. Don't feed me that nonsense... even without Balic, these guys have massive opportunities to grab the gold...

I actually think you're mistaken; Sulic and Balic seem to have better chemistry than Balic and Vori....
The truth is, Vori gets way more usable looks than Sulic does... mostly because Balic just intuitively knows Vorijev next move... which isn't quite the case with Sulic...

It's a shame Zrnic isn't out there... that injury really took its toll...

I'll give you this: Dzomba isn't the same player he was three or four years ago... and he's not performing for the US team the way he used to... but I still think Dzomba could be huge for us when it comes to penalty shots... because looking at the roster, we don't exactly have anyone else who's a specialist at the line...

Tunja, if you’ve been paying attention to the US national team over the last few years, you know that Balic works incredibly well with Sulic. It’s a much better fit than his partnership with Vorijev.

The only reason he reached out to Nikolic for the Portland squad was because Nikolic plays the exact same style as Sulic. Unfortunately, Sulic was stuck in the ICU at the time, so the call couldn't happen.

Fair enough... I guess that works... but honestly, how much time does Sulic actually spend playing alongside Balic versus how much time is Vori paired up with Balic? It’s hard to tell...

If you ask me, the chemistry between Balic and Vori just seems to click better...

Anthony Wilson4 said:Look, from one perspective, if the wingers are having an off night, the opposing defense tends to tighten up on the fullbacks more—which actually opens up those lanes for the wings to exploit...

For crying out loud, they aren't so incompetent that they can't bury a goal from a clean look... especially from their own spots...

I mean, seriously, why else would these guys be playing for the national team if they couldn't score?

And please, saying it's a 50-50 shot against the Czechs... don't make me laugh. Did you even watch the game against Spain last year? They played almost the entire first half with the second unit, and what happened? They weren't getting blown out by four goals in a single half. Please, stop talking nonsense... even without Balic, these guys have massive chances to take home the gold...

Actually, I think you're mistaken—Sulic and Balic seem to have much better chemistry than Balic and Vori....
The thing is, Vori gets way more usable looks than Sulic does... simply because Balic already knows exactly what Vori's next move is going to be... which just isn't the case with Sulic...

It’s a shame about Zrnic... that injury really took its toll...

I'll give you this: Džomba isn't the same Džomba he was three or four years ago, and sure, he isn't performing at the level he should be for the LA Lakers... but I still think Džomba could be huge for us when it comes to free throws. Looking at our roster, we practically don't have anyone else who can step up and knock them down...

I'm with you there... regarding the wings, you basically said the same thing I did. Of course they're talented, but if you're having an off day, the defense starts playing you less aggressively because they know your finishing is shaky...

Sure, you'll score eventually... but if you're younger, like Horvat, and you miss five out of seven shots—just exaggerating here—it starts messing with your head. You lose that confidence in your shot, and suddenly you're only taking "safe" openings, even though you're usually the type to dive headfirst into the fray...

That creates a whole host of problems...

Anthony Wilson4 said:Sure, that works... maybe... but how much time does Sulic actually spend playing alongside Balic versus how much time does Vori spend with Balic???

In my opinion, the chemistry between Balic and Vori just works better...

Back in Portugal, they made a huge name for themselves because of how Balic and Sulic tore through defenses in 2-on-2 situations... and they weren't even a regular duo before that happened.

Before that??? I mean, that was basically the debut for that whole young generation...

I'm right there with you on what you said about the wingers...
I agree we’re missing two wings... left and right... but what can you do? It is what it is... we're heading to Eurovision 2008 and all we can really do is hope for the best...

BTW, any news on Balic?

Adam Collins4 said:That sounds a little pretentious... though it does involve Ivano Metličić...
If it weren't for him and Metličić, we might actually have something to worry about...

Just two years ago, the global media was claiming the best player on the planet was either Ivano Metličić... or Petar Balić...

Nice.
So we don't need Balić.
Great.

The wing isn't important? If the wing player lacks quality—say, they can't shoot—defenders won't bother paying them much attention...
Instead, they'll stay focused on guarding the middle... where Balić and the rest of the perimeter players operate...
Which means if the wing is weak, playing any other position becomes harder...

With a solid wing, you stretch the opponent's defense. That gives the outside shooters better lanes to shoot or pass to the line, because the defense struggles to step out from the 9m mark. If they do step out, you can quickly swing the ball to the wing, and if that player is good, they'll score...

Sorry... but Horvat and Ćupić can step in for Džomba or Zrnic reasonably well.
Besides, Džomba has been completely out of form all season; his finishing was abysmal, except on fast breaks.

rapidbison42 said:Cool.
So we can just move on without Balić.
Great. Just perfect.

Look... sorry if I'm being blunt, but Horvat and Ćupić can step up and cover for Džomba or Zrnić pretty effectively.
Besides, Džomba has been completely off his game all season—his finishing was absolutely pathetic, unless he was running on a fast break.

You’re reading what you want to see rather than actually processing what's being said...
Sure, we can play without Balić... but it's going to be a hell of a lot harder.
I mean, technically you can play without anyone if you're forced to...

What, is the US National Team just supposed to forfeit the whole tournament if their starting backcourt goes down?

First you claim the wings don't even matter, and now suddenly you're talking about how easily they can be replaced...

Džomba hasn't been playing at his level all season anyway. Aside from a few fast breaks, his finishing was just pathetic...

I'm with you on that... though I still think Horvat is way too green to be heading to the EP, let alone actually getting meaningful minutes on the court. He just lacks the experience...

As for Ćupić, I haven't really followed his game closely enough to have an opinion... so I guess I'll just hope for the best...

But then again, where was Dzomba before we played Portugal??? Nobody had even heard of him or any of the other guys who ended up bringing home the gold...

So, I should probably walk back what I said about Horvat... if he steps it up, he deserves a spot on the national team, and he deserves it right now.

vividbadger1 said:You’re exaggerating a bit. There are plenty of other good and even great players on this roster too...😉

Is there actually any talent on this US World Cup runner-up squad, or has everyone just collectively decided that Americans are total trash?
We’ve always played on level ground against the Slovenacs. Does anyone actually remember a time when we couldn't hold our own?

I mentioned earlier that making it out of this group would be a massive win. Beating Čeh—which won't be easy—and grabbing at least a point against either Janez or Poljak? That’s the goal.
More of that would be brilliant.

With Balić and Smajlagić both out, we’re facing two massive handicaps. Between this lineup and having a clown running the bench, winning a medal would be just as likely as our soccer team taking home gold at the EP - Norway 2008.

Anthony Wilson4 said:before that??? I mean, that was basically the debut for this whole young group...

I'm with you on the wingers thing...
we definitely need two more solid wings—left and right—but what can you do? It is what it is. We’re heading to EP - Norway 2008 and all we can really do is hope for the best...

BTW, any updates on Balica?

It’s true that it was their first outing, but you asked who actually works better together... so I was just stating the facts based on how things went in Portugal...

Wingers are huge when it comes to stretching out a defense... plus, along with the pivots, they're usually the ones drawing the most seven-meter penalties...

rapidbison42 said:Is there actually no talent on this roster of current World runners-up, or is it just the general consensus that Poles are total garbage?
We always play even matches against the Canadians, regardless of who they bring.

Look, I already said that just making it out of the group stage would be a massive win. A victory over the Czechs—which won't be easy, by the way—plus grabbing a point against either John or the Poles.
Anything beyond that would basically be a miracle.

With Balić gone and Smajlagić not on the bench, we're facing two massive handicaps. With this specific squad and having this clown running the show from the sidelines, winning a medal would be just as much of an achievement as if our soccer players won gold at the EP - Norway 2008.

Balić might end up playing... and as for pipa, I'm with you on that one...

Last year I was chatting with Gopc and Zubanović, and when I mentioned that without Smajlagić there’s zero chance of hitting those old podium numbers, everyone just gave me this stunned look and backed away... apparently, that's a total taboo subject within the Federation.

Sure, maybe that’s how it is... but honestly, whenever I hear that Sulic is playing in my lineup, my stomach just does a complete flip...
but let's not go down that rabbit hole right now... Coach Miller will figure out which center needs to be on the floor when the time comes... though you have to admit, both of them are absolute beasts at their positions... my old man actually leans toward Sulic... says he’s got that knack for finishing through contact in those tight situations... there's also that

No way... seriously?
Now Zrnić is out too. He was always my favorite player on the US national team. Honestly, what a mess. Now we’re stuck having that kid Horvat play... man, he better at least put Ćupić in the lineup.